For the next Light in the Piazza cocktail, we now move from the Italian locales to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, “the land of corduroys,” according to Clara in the show.
The Corduroy
- 1.5 oz. Midnight Moon moonshine
- 1.0 oz. Cocci Americano
- 0.75 oz. Root liquor
- 0.5 oz. Bittermens Hiver Amer
- 2 dashes Smoke Gets In Your Eyes bitters
Stir with ice and strain into old fashioned glass over ice.
Garnish with an orange peel.
Here I used unaged American whiskey, good ol’ moonshine, for the base. To that I added Cocci Americano as a nod to Italian setting of the show. This brightens the drink up a bit, which is needed after adding the rich Root liqueur, which is smoky and thick with spices like cinnamon and clove and allspice. The bitterness in the Cocci wasn’t enough, so I put in the Hiver Amer as well, which also has strong cinnamon notes. The Smoke Gets In Your Eyes contributes even more smoke, which I felt appropriate for such a cigarette center.
I suppose this should contain a Surgeon General’s warning as well.